Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines



(N Model A A. JOHNSTON.

RUPPLTNG ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 259,275. Patented June 6, 1882.

ALLEN JOHNSTON, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA.

RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,275, dated June 6, 1882,

Application filed July 26, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN JOHNSTON, of Ottnmwa,Wapello county,Iowa,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Ruffling Attachments for Sewing- Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification. 1

This invention, although in part applicable to ruffling attachments generally, relates more particularly to that class of attachments which have theruffler-blade operated from the needlebar of the sewing-machine positively in both directions, and which comprise a lever for receiving motion in both directions from the needlebar, a blade-carrier for supporting the ruffler-blade, and devices for moving the bladecarrier back and forth at each vibration of the lever, and for regulating the stroke of the latter.

The object of the invention is to produce a more simple, compact, efficient, and durable attachment than those before known or used.

The principal new features are- First. The arrangement, in a ruftling attachment wherein the ruffling-blade is reciproca ted at each stitch, of the fulcrum for the operatinglever and the support for the blade-carrier on opposite sides of the needle, the lever being pivoted back of the needle and the blade'carrier supported in front. Heretofore in such attachments the operatinglever and bladecarrier have been placed on the same side of the needle, either both before or both behind.

Second. The communication of motion from the lever back of the needle to the blade-carrier in front by means of a link jointed at the rear end to the operating-lever and extending past the needle.

Third. The connection of the link with an operating-lever adapted to be moved in both directions by the needle-bar at a point between the fulcrum of the lever and the point of application of the power thereto, and the arrangement of the link so as to extend at its lower end outward away from the fulcrum. Heretofore a link when used with a lever operated in both directions by the needle-bar has either been connected with a bent arm of the lever or with an extension of the lever beyond its fulcrum, or has been arranged to extend from its point of connection inward toward the fulcrum of the lever.

Fourth. The arrangement of the link, con- (No model.)

necting an operating-lever and blade-carrier to move the blade-carrier'positivel y back and forth through a slot-and-pin connection, and the application of an adjusting device to increase or lessen at will the lost motion of said connection, and thus vary the stroke of the ruffler-blade. By slot-and-piu connection as used in this specification is to be understood generally a pivotal or flexible and sliding connection such as furnished by a pin working in a 'slot,-or by a slot working over a pin. It can be made also by a separate slide and bingejoint; but this, being more expensive, would not ordinarilybe employed. The slot-and-pin connection is preferably made between the link and the blade-carrier by a slot in the latter and a pin or cross-head on the former, but may be placed in other suitable position, as between the link and operating-lever, and may be made in other ways. Heretofore where a slot-and-pin connection has been used with a. link, motion has been imparted by the link in one direction only, and there has not been, as there could not be in such circumstances, any device for increasing or lessening the lost motion of the connection.

Fifth. The regulation of the stroke of the ruffler-blade by a plain cam carried by the blade-carrier and adapted to remain by friction in the position in which it is placed. 1 Sixth. The support of the blade-carrier in front of the needle upon a projection or extension of a ruffler-frame, having a socket for attachment to the presser-bar directly in front of the socket, and the pivoting of the operating-lever to said frame in the rear of said socket.

The special advantages attending each of the new features before enumerated have not been pointed out, as in general they will be sufficient] y evident to those skilled in the art, and it is therefore deemed unnecessary.

The invention further comprises the particular construction and combination of various parts as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, represent a ruffiiug attachment embodying the invention in what is deemed its best form.

Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig.2, a longitudinal sectional elevation of the attachment; Fig. 3, a cross-section on line or 00, Fig. 2,1ooking in the direction of the arrow; .and Fig. 4, a detached view of the adjusting-cam.

A is the ruffler-frame, adapted, as shown, to be secured to the presser-bar of a sewingmachine, being provided with a socket for the purpose, and having a resser-foot united to or forming part of the frame, as customary with such ruftler-frames. The needle-hole in the presser-foot is shown at a. To an arm,a, of the frame is fulcrumed the operating-lever l3. Said arm projects backward, and when the attachment is adjusted on the machine the fulcrum bis behind the needle. The operating-lever B is forked at its outer or free end, so as to fit over the needle screw or projection on the needle-bar, by which it is operated in both directions. The ruftler-frame is provided with a projection or extension, a, for supporting the blade-carrier. It is placed directly in front of the socket for attaching the frame to the presser-bar, and forms, as it were, a continuation of the presser-foot.

The blade-carrier O is supported on the projection or extension at, so as to slide lengthwise of the same. It is connected with lever B by a link, D, pivoted at d to the said lever, and at its opposite end joined to the bladecarrier by a slot and-pin connection. The pivot cl is in line, or nearly so, with the fulcrum of the lever and the point at which the needle screw or projection on the needle-bar strikes the lever, or, as herein termed, the point of application of the power, and between the fulcrum and said point it extends toward its lower end, away from the fulcrum. The connection with the blade-carrier is made by a pin or crosshead, d, which works in a slot formed between the upper surface of the blade-carrier and a top plate,c, secured thereto. The ends of said slot are formed by the adj listing-cam E and the curved or bent-down part of plate 0. The end of the link is held from lateral movement by a narrow slot, 0, in the top plate. The adjusting-cam is placed between the blade-carrier and top plate, and turns on a pin, 0, fixed to the blade-carrier and projecting through the top plate. Its upper end is threaded, and provided with a set-nut, a, so that the adjusting-cam may be clamped tightly when desired. The top plate, 0, is graduated, and the cam E provided with an indicator or pointer, e, to indicate the length of stroke of the ruftler-blade. The form of cam adopted is avolute or spiral, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This form is employed in preference to an eccentric disk, which could be used, because a larger proportion of the circumference can be utilized, (about two-thirds, as shown, instead of one-half-the maximum with an eccentric,) and because the distance of the cam-surface from the center of rotation varies with uniformity. By turning the cam so that the pointer 6, Fig. 1, moves over the graduated top plate from 1 toward 9 the slot in which works the cross-head d is shortened, the amount of lost motion of thelinkl) thereby decreased, and the stroke of the rattler-blade consequently lengthened, and by turning itin the opposite direction the reverse result is accomplished.

The separator-plate g is carried by a bow or V bent plate, G, riveted or otherwise secured to the ruftler-frame. The ruffler-blade h is fastened to a cross-piece, h, which extends across under the projection or extension a, and is secured to the blade-carrier. The ruffler-blade and separator-plate are of ordinary construction.

In operation the attachment is secured by means of the socket a to the presser-bar of the sewing-machine, the forked ends of lever B embracing the needle-screw or a projection on the needle-bar, from which motion is communicated positively in both directions to the lever B, link D, and blade-carrier C.

The attachment is shown provided with a separator plate, against which the widerblade acts to form the gathers or folds of the raffle; bntthis is immaterial. The rattler-blade may be made to gather downward against the cloth-plate or upward against the presser-foot. In the last case the ruffler-blade should, and in any case may, be carried by a projecting arm or bow, such as sustains the separator-plate, as shown, so that the fabric may pass over it.

Various other modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the blade-carrier arranged in front of the needle can be operated by a lever having its fulcrum back of the needle through connections other than a link and its cooperating parts. The bladecarrier shown slides in ways; but. although a sliding blade-carrier is preferred, the invention is not limited thereto unless the carrier is particularly designated as sliding, for a vibratory blade-carrier such as is common in ruffling attachments could be substituted therefor. The ruftler-frame also, unless it is specifically referred to as being adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of a sewing-machine, may be constructed to be fastened to the clothplate; and so likewise other parts where a particular construction is not indicated as essential may be modified.

A large number of devices have heretofore been employed, generally to vary the stroke of the ruftler-blade, or specially to increase or decrease the lost motion of a pin or other device working in a slot, and these might be substituted for the regulating-cam shown.

The term in front of the needle as applied to the blade-carrier is not intended to indicate that it is directly in front of the needle, for it may be placed somewhat off to one side, as customary in rufflers.

In some attachments heretofore made the needle screw or projection on the needle-bar has free play in a sort of yoke at the end of the lever, striking the arms of the yoke near the ends of each reciprocation. Such a lever may be substituted for the lever shown, and in that case the point of application of the power used herein in defining the preferred connection of the. link with the lever is to be considered as about midway of the yoke.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carryin g the sameinto effect, what I claim is- 1. The combination, with a lever pivoted behind the needle, of a blade-carrier having its support Wholly in front of the needle and operating-connections for moving said blade-carrier back and forth at each vibration of said lever, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a lever pivoted behind the needle, a blade'carrier supported in front of the needle, and a link extending past the needle and connecting said lever and blade-carrier, so that the latter is moved back and forth at each vibration of the lever, substantially as described.

3. A ruffler-frame provided with a socket for attaching the same to the presser-bar of a sewing-machine, in combination with a lever pivoted to said frame back of the socket, a sliding blade-carrier supported thereon directlyin front of the needle, and operating'connections for communicating motion from the lever to the said carrier, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a lever pivoted back of the needle, a sliding blade-carrier supported in front of the needle, and a link jointed at the rear end to said leverand connected at the front end with the said carrier, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with an operating-lever and a blade-carrier, of a link directly connecting the said parts with each other, and adapted to impart from said lever to said blade-carrier positive motion in both directions, and adjusting means for varying at will the stroke of said blade-carrier with a uniform or constant vibration of said operating-lever, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an operatiug-lever, a sliding bladecarrier, and a link connectin g said parts directly with each other and adapted to impart a positive back and forth motion to said sliding blade-carrier, and adjusting means for varying the stroke orthrow of said carrier. substantially as described.

7. The combination, in a ruffling attachment, with a lever adapted to be operated in both directions by the needle-bar of a sewingmachine, of a link for imparting motion to the ruffler-blade, connected with said lever between the fulcrum and the point of application ofthe power and arranged to extend at its lower end outward away from the fulcrum, substan tially as described.

8. The combination of the sliding blade-carrier supported in front of the needle, the lever pivoted behind the needle and adapted to be operated in both directions by the needle-bar, and the link connected with the blade-carrier at the front end and jointed at the rear end to the lever between the fulcrum and the point at which power is applied, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with an operating-lever and a blade-carrier and link arranged to convey positive motion back and forth from said lever to said carrier through a slot-and-pin connection, of an adjusting device for increasing or lessening at will the lost motion ofsaid connection, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a sliding blade-carrier, a link jointed thereto by a slot-and-pin connection, and an adjusting device for increasing or lessening the lost motion between the pin and the ends of the slot, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with a projection or extension of the ruftler-t'rame directlyin front of the needle, of a sliding blade-carrier sup-' ported on said projection or extension, a crosspiece below said carrier, and also below said projection or extension, and a ruffler-blade attached to said cross-piece, substantially as described.

12. The sliding blade-carrier having a top plate fastened thereto, and an adjusting-cam pivoted or journaled between said carrier and top plate, substantially as described.

13. The combination bf the blade-carrier, adjusting device, top plate, and set-nut, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a blade-carrier, top

plate, adjusting device, link and pin or crosshead on the link, said pin or cross-head working between the carrier and top plate and in contact with the adjusting device, substantially as described. 15. The combination of a blade carrier, graduated top plate, adjusting device between the top plate and carrier, and pointer or indicator, substantially as described.

16. The combination, with the blade-carrier and top plate, of a link having its end movablein a slot in the top plate, and a pin or cross-head on the link working between the top plate and blade-carrier, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALLEN JOHNSTON.

\Vitnesses: I

PHILIP MAURO, O. I. HEDRIOK. 

